To address this need, the UK Space Agency has funded two research consortia. From corals to space, they’ll be considering the practicalities of developing an Earth-like resolution imaging telescope to study rocky planets and seek signs of extraterrestrial life aboard them. A consortium led by University College London is the pioneer of this progress. They work with a number of other leading organisations, including the University of Portsmouth, RAL Space, the UK Astronomy Technology Centre and Durham University, all over the UK.
To detect these worlds, the proposed telescope would use a cutting-edge instrument called a coronagraph. This technology is hugely advantageous for controlling light pollution and in blocking the bright glare of stars. It enables astronomers to study rocky exoplanets which were previously obscured by these bright celestial objects. This telescope mainly studies rocky worlds like Earth. Most importantly, it addresses the steep challenges posed by star brightness in a way that helps make these studies of exoplanets’ atmospheres more manageable.
Prof. Richard Massey of Durham University has compared this ground-breaking technology to the legendary Hubble Space Telescope. According to Keller, the new telescope will open up new discovery possibilities in a wide range of fields across astronomy and astrophysics.
“As well as looking for life, a telescope that amazing will watch collisions of asteroids in our solar system, stare into black holes, and solve the mystery of dark matter.” – Prof Richard Massey of Durham University
These improvements to this high-resolution imaging camera are being developed specifically in advance of NASA’s Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO) mission. The collaboration of multiple universities and research organizations underscores the UK’s commitment to leading efforts in space exploration and technology development.
The new telescope will take advantage of the special capabilities of the coronagraph. The mission seeks to make the most detailed observations yet of rocky exoplanets, possibly shedding light on their atmospheres and other characteristics that are key to supporting life. Researchers are hard at work to make this a reality. Its implications reach far beyond the search for extraterrestrial life; it’s sure to enhance our understanding of the universe in unimaginable ways.